Trooper Lowe sat down on a rock and closed his eyes. The sun was making him sweat, he wiped his forehead with his sleeve. He watched the conversation taking place in the distance. The Inquisitor that had brought Lowe's recently formed regiment here was discussing something with the Canoness and the terrifying figure of the Captain of the Space Marines. None of my concern, thought Lowe, just let me at those aliens. Lowe had heard seen the training holovids for the alien enemy. Sickly looking green things and spindly bug creatures. Don't worry, they'd said, just give 'em a few blasts of lasgun fire and they'll be running. And besides, this was a babysitting mission for the Inquisitor. Combat was unlikely, stated the briefing. Unwatched by Lowe, the meeting broke up. The trooper was just drifting off when he was woken by a boot to the ear.
"Wake up trooper," shouted his sergeant, "We're pulling out of here. The valk's will be here in ten."
"What, no action sarge?" asked Lowe. "The buggers must have 'eard we were coming!"
"You just get yourself smartened up and ready. Seems like something big 'as gone down and this planet's no longer a priority."
Indeed, Trooper Lowe could see that even the Space Marines were making contact with their own transports, whatever they may be. Lowe was in awe of these mighty warriors that he had heard so many stories about growing up in Hive Epsilon on Dantus IV.
Suddenly there was shouting and Lowe turned to look at the source of the commotion. Troopers all about him were pointing at the horizon. Just coming over the peak of the hill was a horde of hideous alien monstrosities. Even at this distance, Lowe could see that they were nothing like the training 'vids had depicted them. As he watched, horrified, more and more of the creatures swarmed over the hill.
"Emperor save us... there's thousands of them!" trembled Lowe.
"Firing positions! Squad, to me!" screamed the sergeant, "Lowe, stop dreaming and get your useless arse over here! You wanted to see action? Well, it looks like you got your wish!"
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Campaign Fluff: The Ancient Darkness
Brother Ignatius staggered as another bladed arm struck his helmet, his combat knife flashed in response drawing a splash of Xeno’s blood.
The Ork force had been mostly blunted but the Tyranid’s were all over them, he and his remaining battle brothers had been overtaken by a sea of small vicious creatures and bladed armed Gaunts. Victory was an impossibility now, they had to pull back and conserve their gene-seed as losing it to these creatures would be unthinkable.
How could this even be, clearing an Ork infestation would be challenge enough but having the Tyranid see them as their own! What kind of monster had those researchers created. To make matters worse the Tyranid’s seemed driven by their unrelenting Hive Mind even without Norn Queens or any higher command organisms. Imperial doctrine listed the elimination of these “Leader-Beasts” as highest priority with their destruction sowing chaos and discord among all their lesser forces. This group however seemingly had no such organisation, had they somehow adapted beyond the need for it or was there a missing piece of the puzzle?
Ignatius suddenly felt a twinge of pain as one of the bladed arms of his foe punched through his torso, his armour quickly dulling the feeling and his arm already in motion tracking his attacker with his bolter, one quick burst shredding the cranium of the creature.
Comms chatter was virtually gone, most of the battle group had been destroyed and Ignatius lead what remained of his squad back, they needed to make it to the plateau for extraction and meet up with the Thunderhawk there to get back to the firebase.
He could see the Ork leader, thundering around on his ramshackle excuse for a vehicle, howling in joy, revelling in the bloodshed. He was brandishing his latest trophies, pieces of the armour of the Sisters sent to aid them.
Then the sun was blotted out and the ground shook with a terrible impact, turning his head he saw it, a monstrous winged creature with huge bladed arms like the one that lead the attack on the research station. The creature towered over him clearly scarred by the battle, it’s carapace was cracked and shattered in places with it’s black ichors seeping from the wounds. Ignatius swung his bolter round tracking a weak spot near the neck, but the creature moved faster than he ever thought possible. Scythed arms lashed out slaying two of his battle brothers before they could even raise their weapons while one struck severing his arm at the elbow.
Casting his blade aside he reached for the Krak grenades at his belt, if he could detonate them he might yet take this beast with him. The world slowed as he reached, sparing a glance at the creature as it tore apart the last of his squad it’s eyes gleaming, but there was no emotion, simply the instinct and the deeper sense of something ancient as the stars themselves staring back from behind them as the creatures head whipped forward with it's razor toothed mouth spread wide…
The Ork force had been mostly blunted but the Tyranid’s were all over them, he and his remaining battle brothers had been overtaken by a sea of small vicious creatures and bladed armed Gaunts. Victory was an impossibility now, they had to pull back and conserve their gene-seed as losing it to these creatures would be unthinkable.
How could this even be, clearing an Ork infestation would be challenge enough but having the Tyranid see them as their own! What kind of monster had those researchers created. To make matters worse the Tyranid’s seemed driven by their unrelenting Hive Mind even without Norn Queens or any higher command organisms. Imperial doctrine listed the elimination of these “Leader-Beasts” as highest priority with their destruction sowing chaos and discord among all their lesser forces. This group however seemingly had no such organisation, had they somehow adapted beyond the need for it or was there a missing piece of the puzzle?
Ignatius suddenly felt a twinge of pain as one of the bladed arms of his foe punched through his torso, his armour quickly dulling the feeling and his arm already in motion tracking his attacker with his bolter, one quick burst shredding the cranium of the creature.
Comms chatter was virtually gone, most of the battle group had been destroyed and Ignatius lead what remained of his squad back, they needed to make it to the plateau for extraction and meet up with the Thunderhawk there to get back to the firebase.
He could see the Ork leader, thundering around on his ramshackle excuse for a vehicle, howling in joy, revelling in the bloodshed. He was brandishing his latest trophies, pieces of the armour of the Sisters sent to aid them.
Then the sun was blotted out and the ground shook with a terrible impact, turning his head he saw it, a monstrous winged creature with huge bladed arms like the one that lead the attack on the research station. The creature towered over him clearly scarred by the battle, it’s carapace was cracked and shattered in places with it’s black ichors seeping from the wounds. Ignatius swung his bolter round tracking a weak spot near the neck, but the creature moved faster than he ever thought possible. Scythed arms lashed out slaying two of his battle brothers before they could even raise their weapons while one struck severing his arm at the elbow.
Casting his blade aside he reached for the Krak grenades at his belt, if he could detonate them he might yet take this beast with him. The world slowed as he reached, sparing a glance at the creature as it tore apart the last of his squad it’s eyes gleaming, but there was no emotion, simply the instinct and the deeper sense of something ancient as the stars themselves staring back from behind them as the creatures head whipped forward with it's razor toothed mouth spread wide…
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